– The Steam Machine costs over $1,049, making it significantly more expensive than both the PS5 Pro and the standard PS5.
– In many games (e.g., Alan Wake 2, Crimson Desert), the cheaper PS5 delivers higher frame rates, defeating the value proposition of the mini PC.
– Valve’s advantage lies in its compact form factor, flexible customization, and superior CPU performance in specific CPU-limited scenarios.
– The PS5’s higher memory bandwidth gives it a consistent performance edge, particularly at 4K resolution.
– The Steam Machine is unlikely to attract console users due to its price and lack of controller, but may appeal to PC enthusiasts who value upgradability.
Initial Pricing Shock
The announced price for the new Steam Machine model makes this mini PC more expensive then the PS5 Pro when you compare them head to head. Yet, Digital Foundry’s performance review illustrates how in some games, even the much cheaper base PS5 comes out on top and wins the battle. Valve’s advantage over the PlayStation console is flexible customization and also a very compact form factor thats hard to beat for living room use.
Benchmark Comparisons Across Titles
Digital Foundry compared several different titles that are Linux-compatible or they benefit from the Proton compatibility layer for Windows games. Benchmarks show that the SteamOS cube’s GPU delivers results just shy of the desktop AMD Radeon RX 7600 in raw numbers. That should generate similar frame rates to the PS5 in theory, but there is exceptions depending on the game engine and optimizations made.
Black Myth: Wukong Performance
The Steam Machine review tested Black Myth: Wukong, where in performance mode, Sony’s console finished with a 3 percent lead over the Valve hardware. Depending on the specific scene being rendered, the Valve system’s specs occasionally exhibited smoother visuals even when using matched settings across both platforms. This shows that raw FPS does not always tell the full story about smoothness.
Alan Wake 2 and Crimson Desert
Using the Heroic Games Launcher on Linux, the site also benchmarked the Alan Wake 2 stress test to check compatibility. Here, the PS5 again came out on top, with average frame rates 9 percent higher than the mini PC could manage. In Crimson Desert, the PlayStation console’s GPU achieves 17 percent higher frame rates overall during demanding combat scenes.
Forza Horizon 5 Issues
Forza Horizon 5 demonstrated a even larger performance gap, exposing how Steam Machine performance can fall short at 4K resolution when pushed hard. The testers had to run the Microsoft racer at 1620p to see close to the 60 fps realized on the PS5 without major stutters. However, the missing dynamic resolution scaling on the mini PC was a factor that hurt its competitiveness in this title.
CPU Strengths and Memory Bottlenecks
Digital Foundry’s Steam Machine review noted that the battle isn’t one-sided at all. The system’s 6-core Zen 4 processor shines during CPU-limited scenarios where the console struggles more. Bug Hill in Crimson Desert and city areas in Baldur’s Gate 3 are examples where the PC pulls ahead due to better single-threaded performance. Regardless, Sony hardware’s more ample memory bandwidth is evident in many games and it closes the gap quickly.
Price and Audience Appeal
Even after its recent price hike, the digital PS5 costs $599.99 which is a hard number to beat. Lacking a controller entirely, the $1049+ Valve alternative is unlikely to lure traditional console users anytime soon. That said, it may appeal to gaming PC enthusiasts who enjoy swapping components and building custom-designed enclosures. Going forward, the arrival of FSR 4 upscaling should also boost 4K performance significantly for this platform.
Future Upscaling Potential
Valve’s system relies heavily on software solutions to compete with dedicated console hardware at this price point. The Linux ecosystem continues to improve, but game support remains inconsistent across different titles tested by reviewers. With FSR 4 coming later this year, owners might see better results in demanding games that currently lag behind the PS5.
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